托福閱讀機(jī)經(jīng)背景賞析：藻類細(xì)胞可以助人重獲光明?

Researchers believe they may be able to replace damaged cells in the retina with similar ones found in algae. The technique has worked in mice and now scientists believe they can begin human trials within two years.

研究人員認(rèn)為藻類植物體內(nèi)的某種細(xì)胞可以用來(lái)替換視網(wǎng)膜中受損的細(xì)胞。據(jù)悉，這項(xiàng)技術(shù)已經(jīng)在小白鼠身上取得成功，科學(xué)家認(rèn)為兩年內(nèi)可以將其應(yīng)用于人體試驗(yàn)。

"The idea is to develop a treatment for blindness," Alan Horsager, at the University of southern California, told the New Scientist.

南加州大學(xué)的阿蘭 霍爾薩格爾在接受《新科學(xué)家》雜志采訪時(shí)說(shuō)：“藉此，將開(kāi)發(fā)出治療失明的新療法。”

More than a million people in Britain suffer from vision problems caused by a damaged or malfunctioning retinas.

有一百多萬(wàn)的英國(guó)人人因視網(wǎng)膜受損或機(jī)能失常而視力受損。

The retina is the "business end" of the eye, where nerve cells convert light into electrical and chemical signals that are sent to the brain down the optic nerve. If it is not working then the eye is useless.

視網(wǎng)膜是眼睛的"運(yùn)作終端"，膜上的神經(jīng)細(xì)胞將進(jìn)入眼球的光轉(zhuǎn)化為電信號(hào)和化學(xué)信號(hào)，然后經(jīng)過(guò)視覺(jué)神經(jīng)傳輸給大腦。如果喪失了這種機(jī)能，人就無(wú)法看到東西。

Algae need to be sensitive to light so they can seek out sunlight for photosynthesis and it is the cells they use to do this that scientists hope to use to replenish damaged equivalents in the human eye.

而藻類植物需要通過(guò)光合作用將太陽(yáng)光轉(zhuǎn)化為所需能量，所以它們必須對(duì)光非常敏感�？茖W(xué)家正是利用了這種細(xì)胞的特性來(lái)試圖修復(fù)人眼受損細(xì)胞。

It involves injecting the gene into the retina. Early tests showed that blind mice were able to see light again after treatment and that the effect appears to be permanent.

做這項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn)首先需將從藻類植物中提取的基因注射進(jìn)視網(wǎng)膜上的神經(jīng)細(xì)胞中。早期的試驗(yàn)證明經(jīng)過(guò)治療的小白鼠又能重見(jiàn)光明，治療效果也比較持久。

"It's good on paper, and it is clear they are heading for a clinical trial with the information they are gathering. The question is how good is it going to be? Just light/dark or are people going to be able to read large texts," said Pete Coffey, at University College London.

倫敦大學(xué)學(xué)院的皮特 科菲說(shuō)：“理論上講這個(gè)方法還是不錯(cuò)，研究人員在收集了相關(guān)信息基礎(chǔ)上，正在積極策劃進(jìn)行臨床試驗(yàn)。但問(wèn)題是這種技術(shù)究竟如何?只是讓人產(chǎn)生光感，還是能讓人看到更清晰的事物?”

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